When is a bath not a bath? When it's a work of art.
Sometimes you come across a picture which is entirely bonkers, makes no sense, and yet is so perfect that you just accept it as it is.
And that’s what we have with this image of a timber bathtub, a stunningly beautiful piece of work from Anselm Fraser, a company run by father-and-son pair Anselm and Tom Fraser, who have created an extraordinary line in wooden bathtubs.
Don’t worry about where the taps are coming from, or how you’d plumb this bath in to the middle of the woods, or how you’d keep the leaves from falling in. Just enjoy the glorious idea of forest bathing in a literal sense.
Tom set up as an antique furniture restorer 40 years ago, and the company is now run by his son, Tom, who came up with a technique for steam-bending timber in such a way as to create a sculptural shape that is strong and relatively lightweight. The example at the top of this page is made from steam-bent olive ash with a walnut roll top and base.
If you want to find out more, Anselm shares his steam-bending technique on his Instagram page. But you might not wish to know how the sausage is made; instead, merely enjoy the wonder of an everyday household object turned in to a piece of functional art.
If wood isn’t your style, here are a series of other different and beautiful looks, as picked out by Amelia Thorpe.
Steel style
From C. P. Hart’s exclusive collection of cast-iron baths, the classic Islington tub is given a modern edge with a sleek Polished Stainless Steel exterior. From £11,274 via www.cphart.co.uk.
My grandfather’s clock was too tall for the shelf… so we turned it into a loo
Bespoke joinery specialist Artichoke now offers an interior-design service provided by an in-house team. This throne-style loo was created from offcuts of walnut doors and was inspired by the design of an imposing grandfather clock. See www.artichoke.co.uk for more details.
Shapely model
From the new bathroom collection by Fired Earth, the Elizabeth freestanding bath is designed as a statement piece, shown with a striking floor of Blends Verde and Grigio marble triangle tiles. Bath from from £4,675, tiles £135.45 per sq m from www.firedearth.com.
On the slant
New from Victoria + Albert Baths is Ledro, a freestanding tub made from smooth and durable Quarrycast composite. Its tapered shape is designed to use 30% less water than an average model, so you’ll recoup some of the £2,832 cost every time you run a bath. From www.vandabaths.com
